LIGHT RAIL LINE, SECTION 4, HOUSTON, TEXAS

OTHON was selected as one of the initial five consulting engineering firms for the design and construction management of a new Light Rail Transit (LRT) system serving the greater Houston metropolitan area. The starter segment of the LRT system extends approximately 7.5 miles, following the Main Street Corridor, providing direct service to and from the University of Houston-Downtown, the Central Business District, Midtown, the Museum District, Hermann Park, the Texas Medical Center, and the Astrodome/Reliant Stadium. This section will ultimately serve as a nucleus for future transit routes. 

OTHON’S assignment, Section 4, involved a 1.3-mile segment from US 59 on the south, to near the Pierce Elevated on the North. This section included design for three LRT stations along with architectural and landscaping treatment along the entire alignment to complement and enhance redevelopment of neighborhoods located near the Central Business District in an area known as Midtown. The entire project was constructed on a fast-track schedule, which required that the engineers worked in tandem with the construction contractors through all phases of the project. 

Completion Date: 2003
Construction Cost: $18,000,000
Owner: Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County